Prickly Satirists, You’re On Notice
A note to the people all tizzied up over the innappropriate nature of Stephen Colbert’s speech at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner:
a) Yes, you’re correct, nothwithstanding the many clever witticisms, its intention was to be a brow-beating that made both administration officials and members of the press’ higher echelons uncomfortable and angry.
b) It worked.
c) Perhaps you should brush up on the history of satire. You see, it only becomes ineffectual when you laugh at it good-naturedly, thereby de-fanging it.
and
d) Nino Scalia, for all my reservations about him, is smarter than the rest of you put together. I also hear he slaughters audiences on the courtroom floor.
Update: I can’t believe it didn’t cross my mind earlier, but I ask you now to recall the House of Commons’ Question Hour. Tony Blair has to endure tongue-lashings once a week . Is one moment of accountability in 6 years really that uncivilized?
